NutriFibre® is tolerant to long periods of drought. During dry periods NutriFibre® is able to absorb water from deeper layers in the soil. The grass continues to grow and produces a whopping 47% more yield during the dry summer months. An additional advantage is that drought won’t cause bare patches where weeds can take root.
During an average summer, grass will suffer from a water shortage for three months. In the coming decades the probability of dry, hot summers will increase. NutriFibre® is highly tolerant to these periods of drought thanks to its deep rooting ability. Soil permitting, NutriFibre®’s roots can reach depths of more than 100 cm (figure 2). NutriFibre® can survive these periods of drought thanks to its strong and long root system.
Research performed by the University of Ghent in Belgium has revealed that in periods of drought NutriFibre® produces higher yields than perennial ryegrass. Table 2 shows the yields obtained in the three-year research project. Several periods of drought were registered over the duration of this trial. The results showed a signifi cantly higher yield for NutriFibre® compared with tetraploid perennial ryegrass. One of the conclusions drawn by this project was that soft-leaf tall fescue has a higher drought tolerance than perennial ryegrass.
Table 2: Difference in annual dry matter yield during specifi c years with long periods of drought (tonnes/ha).
Source: University of Ghent (Belgium), 2013
During extremely wet periods, NutriFibre®’s long roots have a draining effect. This makes for excellent drainage on pastures planted with NutriFibre® so the grass stays in a better condition. Thanks to NutriFibre®’s better capacity to survive periods of wet weather than perennial ryegrass, damage to the grass is limited.
This NutriFibre® crop management manual provides you with the necessary information to get the most out of your NutriFibre® grass.
NutriFibre® is available in several of our grass seed mixtures . Click on the button to find one of our distributors. Do you have any questions about NutriFibre® ? Do not hesitate and send an e-mail to export@barenbrug.nl.
